Penguin poop is melting Antarctic snow by keeping algae green
A new study reveals that penguin excrement is fertilizing snow algae in Antarctica, causing the snow to turn green and melt more rapidly. This biological process accelerates the loss of ice-free terrain, a factor previously underestimated in climate change projections.
Why it matters
Understanding the role of wildlife in local ecosystems is crucial for improving the accuracy of climate change models and predicting the rate of polar ice melt.
edited by Sadie Harley , reviewed by Robert Egan
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Add to Preferred Sources Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Penguin poop is fertilizing snow algae blooms along the Antarctic Peninsula, feeding dense green algae patches along the coastline, a new study shows. These expanding stretches of green snow melt faster than clean, white snow, potentially speeding up the spread of snow- and ice-free areas of Antarctica.
As temperatures rise across Antarctica, snow algae habitats are expanding along the coasts, darkening the surface and leading to even more warming and snowmelt. By tracking their poop across the snow, penguins are inadvertently supplying the algae with vital nutrients that keep the blooms green and make the melting effect even stronger.
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